So, it should come as no surprise that some dog food companies now offer low fat dog food to consumers.
But are these products designed to enhance your dog’s health… or are they simply here to profit from the latest fad?
For that answer, we need to keep in mind dogs aren’t human. So, of course, neither is their biology. What may be right for you may not be right for your dog.
Why Dietary Fats Might Not Be
a Problem for Your Dog
In humans, saturated fats have been long been associated with clogged arteries and heart attacks.a Problem for Your Dog
But not so for dogs.
Dogs consuming a relatively high fat diet rarely suffer from circulatory conditions. The species appears to be rather resistant to coronary artery disease and stroke1
Cholesterol… It’s Not All Bad
Although
high fat diets can produce high blood cholesterol levels in dogs, that
cholesterol isn’t the artery-blocking bad stuff humans are prone to
suffer from.No, this is the good cholesterol. The HDL cholesterol. The kind that helps actually prevent the build-up of dangerous, life-choking plaque commonly found on the artery walls in humans.2
And that high level of good cholesterol is what’s thought to make dogs so resistant to developing clogged arteries… atherosclerosis, the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.3 4
So, you see…
Most dogs can easily handle a significant amount of animal fat in their food… especially when it’s the natural kind of fat associated with a quality meat ingredient.Dietary fat can be an excellent source of energy… and the only way for your dog to get the essential fatty acids needed to sustain life.
When Dietary Fats Can Be a Problem
Although fats can be a regular part of your dog’s diet, there are two critical exceptions…First, certain medical conditions may call for feeding a low fat diet. Two of the most common problems include…
- Pancreatitis
- Chronic obesity
Second, when we mention healthy fats, we’re talking about normal dietary fats. Not fatty by-products like…
- Restaurant grease
- Industrial waste
- Beef tallow
The Pet Food Industry
Choosing Profits Over Quality
It’s no secret, the pet food industry is notorious for using some of the cheapest raw materials it can find.Choosing Profits Over Quality
To those profit-first dog food manufacturers (you know who you are) who continue to choose profits over the health and welfare of our pets, we say…
Hey, you’re not using these low-grade fats to make soap, here. No, we’re talking about feeding innocent, trusting beings… beings most of us consider members of our own families.
And to dog food consumers (the rest of us)…
Together, we must hold the pet food industry accountable to the same standard we set for the products we feed to our own children.So, what can we do?
We can reward those more responsible manufacturers with our dog food dollars… and reject those who selfishly make profit the central goal of their operations.
Our dogs trust us. And for this reason, they deserve nothing less than safe and healthy food.
- National Research Council, Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats, 2006 Edition, National Academies Press, Washington, DC, p. 99 ↩
- McAlister et al (1996), Canine lipoproteins and lecithin: cholesterol acyl transferase activities in dietary oil supplemented dogs, Veterinary Clinical Nutrition 3:50-56 ↩
- Bauer, JE, 1996, Comparative lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, Veterinary Clinical Pathology, 25:49-56 ↩
- Wagner et al, 1999, Lipids and lipoproteins, The Clinical Chemistry of Laboratory Animals, 2nd
- edition, New York, Hemisphere Publishing, pp 181-228 ↩
- Related E-Books:- 25 Food Recipes For Dogs
- Dog Food Book - No-nonsense Dog Nutrition
- Homemade Dog Food Recipes - Desperate Market
- Healthy Food For Dogs: Homemade Recipes.
- Dog Treat Recipes--- $7.36
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